Keeping the Momentum of 12/2

UCLA defensive end Bruce Davis finally found a home at defensive end this season, but if he is to get a shot in the NFL, it will likely come as a hybrid player.

In a meeting with Bruins defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, a scenario for using Davis next season in a role as defensive end with some linebacker responsibilities was mapped out. And that was enough to convince Davis coming back for his senior season was a prudent move.

"I trust Coach Walker and (defensive line) Coach (Todd) Howard," said Davis, who is 6-foot-3, 240 pounds. "What those two guys have done for me, they've totally changed my life. Before, I was just another college football player and now I'm one of the tops in the country. I'll be the No. 1 defensive end returning next year."

Former defensive coordinator Larry Kerr tried Davis at linebacker, but the experiment failed.

"It's not, 'OK, you're going to do this for a couple of plays and in a few weeks we'll change you to something else," Davis said. "(Walker) knows football, and from being in the (NFL), they have packages for guys like me. Guys like DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, and guys like that, and (Walker) wants me to be that guy."

Davis tied for second in the nation (with teammate Justin Hickman) with 12.5 sacks and was named to several All-American teams. And he believes he can be even more effective next season because of his versatility.

Have the Seminoles beaten anyone? I ask that in all seriousness. F.S.U. has wins over a Miami squad whose head coach has since been fired, over Rice and Troy teams scheduled to meet in the New Orleans Bowl, over a Duke unit that hasn't beaten a Division I-A opponent since 2004, over a Virginia squad that lost to Western Michigan, and over Western Michigan by an eight-point margin in Tallahassee. The 'Noles limp into San Francisco after dropping five of their last eight decisions, including a 30-0 annihilation at the hands of Wake Forest. While the Bruins' expectations were dashed by a midseason skid during which U.C.L.A. lost four in a row, the reigning city champs managed to wrap up the regular season with three straight wins, including a conference road victory over a Hawaii Bowl-bound Arizona State team and home wins over Oregon State and U.S.C. squads that combined for 19 victories. During that final trio of outings, the Bruin D allowed just over nine points per game . . . and Karl Dorrell's troops will be going up against a Florida State offense ranked 38th in passing offense, 54th in scoring offense, 73rd in total offense, and 103rd in rushing offense. If the Bruins shut down the Trojans, is there any reason to think they can't shut down the Seminoles, as well? Since posting a 13-0-1 record in bowl games between the 1982 and 1995 seasons, F.S.U. has gone 4-6 in postseason play. Not since the 1984 campaign has a Bobby Bowden-coached team played the season's final game before December 28 and not since the 1977 Tangerine Bowl have the 'Noles won a bowl game as early as this one. Finally, while F.S.U.'s Marching Chiefs will be staying in the Sunshine State, U.C.L.A. is able to boast of having Juggler Dude, the West Coast equivalent of the fellow known to University of Georgia students from the mid-1990s as "The Bagpipe Guy." How can you pick against the team that has Juggler Dude? You can't spell "crushing Florida State" without U-C-L-A.